Does anyone know what happened to Adam Cherubini?

[Matt McCormick]

three word-herding heroes: Bill Byrson, Bill Walsh and John McPhee.

Well Bill Walsh did win three super bowls.... those other guys I've never heard about.......

[Jim Matthews]

It happened back in October.

http://americancraftsmanworkshop.com...-and-glen-huey

[Moses Yoder]

There is a natural cycle woodworkers go through and the Web has kind of made the learning curve easier. I got to the point where I don't need any more magazines and hopefully will never buy another one. I probably have a thousand. What should happen is that people who are starting out should buy magazines to build the projects in them which in turn teaches them to design their own projects. Just because a magazine does not contain something of interest to me is not the fault of the magazine.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Megan

I find it interesting that there is an incentive (usually in the form of a download) to become a new member, but nothing of the same to renew a subscription. Indeed, the incentive is to allow a subscription to lapse, then rejoin for the free gift!

Regards from Perth

Derek (about to renew)

[Jim Koepke]

It used to be my pleasure to peruse an article while shopping in the local Fred Meyer (a Kroger owned store). They do not seem to carry it any longer. I would buy any of the WW magazines when there was something of interest.

Now it there isn't anyone local carrying it to see if it is of interest.

jtk

[Terry O'Donnell]

I was bummed by receiving an email that said "Expiration Notice -- renew now" -- when there was still about 7 months to go on my subscription -- their response was that they like to send out such notices in advance to give subscribers time to reply. Seemed a bit heavy handed to me…not the way I'd treat subscribers if it were me…

[Megan Fitzpatrick]

Hmmm....I thought we were offering an incentive with renewals. I shall revisit that.

[Megan Fitzpatrick]

That's pretty much an industry standard...and I find it annoying too. I received a renewal notice on another WW mag before I even got the first issue!

[george wilson]

I stopped PW because of incorrect content articles I saw. Some of the "professionals" are not professionals,but those casual woodworkers who like to see their name in print. I see that on television,too. I don't know where they get some of their "experts". On one show about saws,their "expert" was sawing with an obviously VERY dull saw,and getting nowhere.

Someone who really knows tools and their use,and does actual fine woodworking needs to proof read the articles. If PW is losing subscriptions from this sort of thing,it might be a good investment to find that person who can help. Or,if one is (likely,I'm sure.!) in place,find a better informed person. David Weaver would be a great resource for Japanese tool proof reading,for example.

Somehow,I just can't get motivated to write articles myself,and do the necessary expert photography. But,it probably is what I ought to be doing at this stage in my life. Health issues bog me down at my age.

And yes,magazines asking for very early renewal is standard practice. They must need the money. I know times are difficult with the competition of computer available "infotainment",television,and other competition.

[Tom McMahon]

At one time I owned and operated a farm as well as a woodworking business. In the agricultural industry, once they have you on their list it almost impossible to stop getting their magazine. They just keep sending them to you for ever for free, they want the circulation numbers because add rates are based on circulation and the real money must be in add income not subscriptions. If you could say 90 percent of all woodworkers get our magazine you could get a lot of add income.

[Mike Holbrook]

Interesting thread. I did a little search to find out what happened to the guys that left PW, following Jim Matthews link above. Looks like Chuck Bender and Glen Huey started something called 360 WoodWorking (Where Tech Meets Tradition), Bob Lang appears to be a contributor. Looks like an interesting concept with a fresh look at presenting info. on woodworking. Probably off topic here, so I think I will start a new thread.

[Gary Muto]

I still enjoy the magazine and will renew... incentive or not. I think it is worth the investment of my time and money. If we don't support our magazines there will be even less available. There may be a lot of info on the Net but PWW provides me with higher quality content.

[Matt McCormick]

As to the Adam question...... I really miss him and hope he returns soon. I got to sit in on some of his lectures at the Pasadena WWA a few years back and he is awesome. As for PWW, I miss Bob and Glen too! but things change, relationships change people have ideas and sometimes their good friends don't agree...... So far we have gotten a new version of Mr. Schwarz , 360 woodworking and a magazine seeing it needs to find a better way to serve it's intended audience.... this is not a bad thing. I have been a R&D machinist for 44 years and have worked in some dream teams a number of times..... something changes and people go their separate ways..... the project or company either meets the challenge or it falters...... in my experience it's about 50/50. The best craftsman in the world may not be able to write a coherent sentence helping me to understand how to make a dovetail...... where as a guy like Schwartz can come across as a buddy showing me how to do something, that is a rare gift he has. But we always want to be taught by the George Wilsons of the world but we take no thought that a guy in Mr. Wilson's league could not ever instruct someone how to feel what he does.... the "feel" is what separates US from him..... that feel is a mixture of desire, experience(lots of it!), intellect (that's where they always lose me) and hand eye coordination along with the study of what and how others have done in the past. I wish I knew how to teach what George knows.... I myself am now teaching machine shop to undergrads and graduate students at a UC mechanical engineering program. What we used to see as a common mechanical aptitude....... is now found in less than 10% of my students, but it is not magic and so the current student is so bright they pick it up fairly well and are able to complete projects but they are not really proficient at getting a project finished without help. My experience in Industry is much the same, what used to pass as the average skill level is now looked at as master craftsman level work and is now revered and thought to be too hard to teach. The 1970's average rough and tumble journeyman machinist would be king of the shop today.... but even that is hard to find. It is a sign of the times.... when we went to CNC in the shops less than 10% of the guy could make the change. I guess times have changed...... but people really have not. I hope this makes sense as I will never write for a magazine...... -matt

[Brian Holcombe]

The alternate viewpoint from a woodworking perspective is that your ability must be high in order to be highly considered in the outside world. The average customer viewpoint is skewed because often what they see is hand finish work performed on something made by cnc machines and that is their basis for comparison of good work.

[Matt McCormick]

The average customer viewpoint is skewed because often what they see is hand finish work performed on something made by cnc machines and that is their basis for comparison of good work.

Absolutely! A question I ask professors who ask me for a super fine finish or micron tolerance is how will you know if I do make that to your spec? I have never had them give me a good answer.... How do you know if a job is good or just shiny? there is a big difference.
Some of us unwashed don't know what we don't know.... we put a guy in a magazine on our shoulders and make him the oracle of woodworking simply because he wrote a article that we thought was good. When I was at the Pasadena WWA there were some rabid fanbois there.... I was talking to some of them and they actually follow some of their hero's around the country and spend their vacations going to their seminars and schools.... and there is nothing wrong with that other than I can't do it.
But you, Brian with your Kingly good looks and ability to write well thought posts on how you do things.... I think you could be the next superstar woodworker. Megan sign him quick before he gets away........